Shareswatch Australia

An extended stock market market downturn such as the one we are experiencing now provides long term investors with an opportunity to gauge how well companies have been able to deal with harsh economic conditions.  So today let’s have a look at four consumer spending related Australian listed companies and see how they have fared over the last five years.

At the start of last year I did not update my Australian stock market trends simply because I thought the market was basically going nowhere. This year however I feel it is worth looking at some interesting sectors again in an attempt to pick out some areas where investors might be able to find bargains and position themselves for the next bull market.

The links and websites might be useful for investors but are provided for reference & research purposes only. Please seek professional or expert advice as needed before making any investment related decision.

The following links and documents are from the ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) website. You can access all these links, associated documents and the stock price charting tool without having to log into the ASX website.

I have been a vocal critic of the National Broadband Network for a long time and was talking about what a mess it would be way before the mainstream media woke up.  So to further illustrate my point I have put together a list of  areas or ways where I believe the taxpayers $43 billion could be better spent and deliver better outcomes for the Australian people.

Welcome to the Shareswatch Australia – one of Australia’s premier stock market and investment blogs plus a free source of independent stock market investing views and analysis.

Another year, another decade and time once again to look at our shares portfolio and perhaps review our positions. Although the global financial crisis has been tough for investors the fact is that the Australian stock market did bounce back in 2009 and if history is any guide then we are likely to see it finish higher in 2010.

The current downturn in the world markets presents us with an opportunity to review or develop our investment strategy for the next few years. For some people it may mean a major overhaul such as moving from stocks to real estate, while for others it may mean just a realignment of stocks in a portfolio.

Now that the worst of the stock market rout appears behind us perhaps it is a good time to think about investing in a stock that should rise along with any bull market rally. ASX Limited is one stock that may allow investors to do just that, while at the same time providing income via franked dividends.

Trying to forecast where technology may lead us is relatively easy compared to determining where to invest in order take advantages of these technological trends. Some companies that may appear ideally suited to do well in the future may actually find technology works against them and some sectors that appear “hot”  might actually turn out to be quite unprofitable.

The current economic downturn has taken a lot of the focus off soft commodities, but if you believe that over the long term that prices for wheat, cotton and beef etc. will rise again than investing in quality farmland may be good investment option. One way investors can do this is via a recently listed company: Prime Ag Australia Limited.

The problem with picking which mining stock to invest in is that you really need to know something about mining or you need to be getting advice from someone that does. Unfortunately most of the analysts out there covering companies like BHP and RIO do not have any qualifications in disciplines such as mining engineering or geology, and for me that is like having a stock broker tick-off the pre-flight checklist on an aircraft I am just about to fly in. He might be a smart guy, but personally I would prefer someone who knows about aeroplanes up in the cockpit thanks.

As many investors would already know, Listed Investment Companies (LIC’s) can be a relatively straight forward way to diversify a shares or investment portfolio. There are many different types of LIC’s trading on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and these can give an investors exposure to a diversified range of assets.

Here are some easy to understand investment tips that may help you put together an investment strategy. These tips or guidelines are by no means the only factors you should consider when making investment decisions, but they may help you avoid costly mistakes.

There appears to be an ever increasing number of stock market related websites and no shortage of stock tips and market advice available to us all. But who should we listen to, and where are some good sources of stock market insights?